This thread reminds me of a very sobering story reported (amongst other places) in Deep Descent by Kevin McMurray.
Whilst I forget the diver's name, he was one of the hard core wreck divers from the Northeast, and his big thing was that he was the diver who always wanted to splash first. As with many searious divers in that community, he dived laden with gear, including doubles and various tools to remove any artifacts that he might find attached to a wreck.
On the fateful day, he geared up, staggered to the back of the boat, waved cheerily to the slowpokes and splashed in. The end of the dive comes and he has not resurfaced. A frantic search of the wreck later ensues. The diver cannot be found. Eventually, after widening the search circle, they find his body directly under the boat. Drowned. His gas was turned off. He sank like a stone under the weight of all his gear, and was unable to deploy his bouyancy or breathe.
I like to tell that story on dive boats during surface intervals. People religiously check their gas before the second dive after hearing it.
Whilst I forget the diver's name, he was one of the hard core wreck divers from the Northeast, and his big thing was that he was the diver who always wanted to splash first. As with many searious divers in that community, he dived laden with gear, including doubles and various tools to remove any artifacts that he might find attached to a wreck.
On the fateful day, he geared up, staggered to the back of the boat, waved cheerily to the slowpokes and splashed in. The end of the dive comes and he has not resurfaced. A frantic search of the wreck later ensues. The diver cannot be found. Eventually, after widening the search circle, they find his body directly under the boat. Drowned. His gas was turned off. He sank like a stone under the weight of all his gear, and was unable to deploy his bouyancy or breathe.
I like to tell that story on dive boats during surface intervals. People religiously check their gas before the second dive after hearing it.